Anxiety

About Anxiety

Anxiety comes in many forms. It can feel like butterflies, like stunning fear, loss of control, or excessive worry with running thoughts. Anxiety can feel overwhelming. It might show itself as shakiness, tension, or even feeling sick. Another type of anxiety, what we call existential anxiety, occurs when the anxiety correlates with a sense of lacking purpose, meaning and/or place in the world.

We understand the nature of anxiety, including existential anxiety. We are experienced at addressing anxiety on several levels to help you, whether a child, teen or adult. We work to help you feel better and gain freedom from anxiety. We also really get how symptoms of anxiety can be confounded by gifted traits and high sensitivity, and we work to help you manage that as well.

Anxiety Can Be Different in Gifted and Highly Sensitive Individuals

We understand and can pinpoint gifted traits, overexcitabilities (OEs), intensity and sensitivities that support or are otherwise interwoven with the experience of anxiety. We understand that gifted and highly sensitive individuals tend to follow a thought so deeply that it can be easy to get lost in it. We really get that the gifted and highly sensitive mind can be very in tune with the possibility of potential danger, and thus more likely to activate anxiety.

Some Signs and Symptoms of Anxiety Include:

Pervasive worry

Emotional outbursts, especially directly or indirectly related to a fear or worry

Fears (ongoing, new, or recurring)

Intense perfectionism

Avoidance, or manipulating situations so that the end result is being able to avoid something that is worrisome, or to avoid something that relates to a fear

Addressing underlying and historical aspects of anxiety, such as anxiety that runs in families

We Offer Experience in Anxiety Treatment

TheraThrive therapists are integrative. This means that we use a variety of methods and techniques in order to form a treatment plan that will fit your individual needs. This includes understanding your particular personality, traits, strengths and challenges. We will typically utilize more than one psychotherapy treatment modality (click to learn more aboutDr. Grace’s approachor to learn more about Katie’s approach).

Stress Management

We will support you (or your child) with stress management tools and relaxation training, including mindfulness exercises, to help reduce anxiety and any overwhelm you may be experiencing.